Recently, I posted an article about the 3 Best Ab, Non Crunch Exercises for Beginners.
Today I want to zero in on one of those exercises, the plank.
The plank is a great core stabilization exercise that people of any fitness level can perform.
In fact, I often suggest that people just starting out on an exercise program master the plank before attempting more advanced abdominal exercises.
Your core’s primary job is to stabilize your body. So, it is important that you focus on stabilization exercises.
Here are 3 plank progressions for you to include in your home fitness workouts.
1. Elbow Plank – get down on the floor facing down with all of your weight distributed between your toes and your elbows. 
Position your arms so that they are bent at a 90 degree angle and your elbows are directly below your shoulder. Use your core to hold your body in a straight line, perpendicular to the floor.
Do not cheat and put your hips up in the air! Straight line!
2. Plank w/ Extended Arms – get down on the floor facing down in a push up position with all of your weight distributed between your toes and your hands.
Position your arms so that your hands are directly below your shoulders slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Use your core to hold your body in a straight line between your head and your toes.
Do not cheat and put your hips up in the air! Straight line!
3. Plank on 1 leg – Position yourself so that you are in a plank position (as described above). While bracing your core and holding your
body straight, lift one foot a few inches off the ground so you are balancing between one leg and your two arms.
Start by mastering the elbow plank and workoing your way up through to the extended elbow plank with 1 leg.
Try to be able to hold this position for a minimum of 1 minute before progressing to the next advanced plank.
Mastering these planks will ensure you have a strong core platform from which to delve into more advanced core exercises with minimal risk of injury.
Susan Campbell, MS, CSCS
Author, Ultimate Home Workouts
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